The process by which a search engine returns search results in response to a user query is inefficient for those who advertise on that search engine. For instance, when a user enters a query, a search engine provides results that are largely based on the search words themselves. Moreover, the order in which the results are returned is largely based upon the amount of money an advertiser pays the search engine—with the higher-paying advertisers appearing near the top of the page, and lower-paying advertisers appearing near the bottom of the page, or on subsequent pages. In any event, the search results that are returned, and the order in which they are returned, do not depend on the user's capacity to purchase. As will be discussed, this provides a less than ideal marketing system for such advertisers.
Oftentimes, a user's query includes search terms that relate to a product the user wishes to purchase. In response to the query, a search engine provides results that represent an index of the search terms. Commonly, a portion of the search results are “sponsored” results, meaning that an advertiser has paid to have a link to its page prominently displayed in response to the query. By way of example, suppose a search engine is a Ferrari dealer. Under the current model, that search engine purchases search terms likely to be entered by a user searching for a Ferrari, e.g., “Ferrari,” “Maranello” “F430,” and “Spider,” and the like. Upon entry of such a search term, a link to the dealer's homepage is prominently displayed, usually at the top of the page or in a designated area.
Unfortunately for the Ferrari dealer, there is no mechanism for it to ascertain information relating to the financial credentials of the user before the search result is populated with the advertisement. This puts the Ferrari dealer at an undue disadvantage from a cost/benefit point of view. That is, as a practical matter, the Ferrari dealer is much less concerned with marketing its vehicles to a 12 year old or someone who does not have the financial means to purchase a Ferrari. Rather, the Ferrari dealer has a much greater incentive to market its vehicles to someone who is more likely to purchase one of its vehicles. Nevertheless, there is no direct way for the Ferrari dealership to determine how likely or how capable a user, who enters a query, is to purchase a vehicle. As a result, the Ferrari dealership is forced to pay for advertising that will all to often go to waste on users that have virtually no ability to purchase its products.